After the Second Prophecy
by chocolatebackground
Summary: After the War against Gaea, the Greeks and Romans find peace at last. However, the praetor of New Rome, Reyna, is facing internal problems: Her feelings for Jason Grace and a darkness in her mind that has gone undetected for all her life, threatening to rise and changing her into a completely different person. Special thanks to whoever who made the image!
1. Chapter 1: After the War

**Hi, everyone!**

**This is my first time writing for fanfiction, and hope you'll enjoy this story. **

**I borrowed the characters from Rick Riordan, just to let you know. **

**Please R&R, and I'll update as soon as possible. Thanks!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

_**Chapter One: After the War**_

Reyna wasn't the sentimental type. Most girls her age would be chattering nonstop about their love lives, fighting over a Jessica Simpson cocktail dress and screaming at a bag of potato chips.

Well, Reyna's life included looking over her shoulder every two seconds, armed to the teeth with Imperial Gold weapons and disintegrating monsters left and right.

Once upon a time, Reyna had considered having a life with someone that isn't herself. Now, those dreams had seemed silly compared to the chaos that left her staggering, alone again.

Jason Grace was sitting at the Praetor's Table, arms around his girlfriend Piper McLean. They were laughing hysterically as Percy Jackson and his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase told jokes. Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque were kissing away. Even Leo Valdez, the scrawny imp was holding hands with Calypso, the immortal gardener girl.

The War against Gaea was over. The Romans and Greeks had joined forces and triumphed. Gaea was back to slumbering, and every one of them had been rewarded graciously (or... not so graciously) by the gods. They were feasting in the Great Hall of Camp Jupiter, Greeks, Romans, satyrs, nymphs, naiads, lares, everyone mingled together. The _aures _sent food from the air, and it was pretty hilarious watching Percy getting... what did he call it? Beaned by the beans?

They were in a festive mood, both orange and purple banners decorating the ceiling and the walls. Ella the harpy was scrabbling at books, perched on the ceiling. Tyson the Cyclops was shoving down Skippy's Extra-Chunky peanut butter, with no bread. He was literally cramming his mouth full of the gooey stuff. Mrs. O'Leary the hellhound was roughhousing with Hannibal the elephant. The Hunters of Artemis were huddled near the edge of the Hall, glaring at the boys. The Amazons were laughing as they made toasts. Hylla winked at Reyna, and Reyna smiled a bit. SPQR T-shirts and Camp Half-Blood T-shirts were everywhere. Octavian was crimson with rage, but kept a straight face, spitting insults at the Greeks, though no one really paid him any attention.

Jason, Piper, Leo and Calypso sat on her left and Percy, Annabeth, Hazel and Frank sat on her right. The Seven of the Prophecy were seated at the Praetor's table, along with Reyna and Calypso. It was great, really, but Reyna simply couldn't help herself as she failed and failed again to stop looking at Jason, perfect and gorgeous, sitting beside her.

Percy tapped his knife against the edge of his glass. The Great Hall fell respectfully silent as Percy stood up and let out a belch. There were chuckles. Annabeth looked so embarrassed Reyna almost felt pity for her.

"Sorry, too much Coke," Percy apologized and let out another belch. This time, everyone laughed openly. Annabeth stomped on Percy's foot, and Percy belched for the third and final time.

Percy tapped on his glass again, but the campers were laughing too hard to hear it. Don the faun was hiccuping, and even Octavian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Percy, you sound like the Minotaur," Valdez commented, speaking through a megaphone he whipped out of his tool belt. "Remember? The big hairy dude, the mutant son of Pasiphae? She's the lady with the collapsed hairdo that looked like how Percy would decorate a Wedding Cake,"

Everyone laughed louder.

Percy cleared his throat awkwardly.

"All right guys, settle down," Reyna called, trying to maintain order. The Hall grew silent, but there were still occasional chuckles.

"I just wanted to congratulate all of us that survived this war," Percy said. "So... yeah. Congratulations! I mean, it's really great Gaea is snoring again, 'cause when she's awake, she's freaking scary. I am not kidding. So, now, Frank and Reyna are the praetors of New Rome, and Annabeth and I'll be leaving for Camp Half-Blood tomorrow. If any of you wants to come, feel free. So... fireworks time!"

The crowd released a general cheer as they trooped out the Great Hall and onto the Fields of Mars where the Hephaestus campers had set up a firework display. Under the blazing falling stars, every couple kissed.

Reyna's gut twisted horribly as she watched Piper kiss Jason. They hugged each other, laughing as they watched Hecate chase a squalling Clytius, before Hecate burned Clytius into a starburst of sparks.

Reyna had hoped for a happily ever after. Every adventure she had... it was always with Jason. She had hoped that she could actually have a future with him. Maybe she would have a few children, watching them grow happily in Camp Jupiter, making her proud. When a new praetor is elected, she would retire happily with Jason, snoozing under the stars.

Then, Hera stole Jason from her. She brought Jason to Camp Half-Blood and Jason got a new girlfriend. Reyna had kept her feelings down for so long, wanting to scream every time Jason kissed or hugged Piper. It was unbearable. She had always let duty come before personal feelings, but right now, she didn't care about duty. Fighting, negotiating, leading wars over and over. She _is _the good guy. She _deserved _someone to be with her. Piper McLean had _no idea _what she had been through.

Tears threatened to spill. Everyone was watching the fireworks.

"I'm going to bed early," Reyna told Gwen. Gwen gave her a questioning look, but Reyna was already gone, walking briskly to her house. Her purple cape fluttered behind her. She walked faster and faster, almost running as she tore through the living room. Her dogs whined but she didn't pay them any attention. She sprinted into her room, slammed the door, and cried her heart out.

**OK, I'm sort of feeling kind of sad. **

**Reyna's a nice girl, and she doesn't really deserve this situation, but things will (probably) get better for her. Right? **

**Please R&R, and I'll update as soon as I can. Thanks!**

**Hello, everyone. **

**I hope you enjoyed my story!**


	2. Chapter 2: Duty or Love?

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Two: Duty or Love?**

The next morning, Reyna woke up in tangled sheets. Her dogs snuffled and whined.

Reyna groaned. It was five in the morning, and the sun was rising lazily up the hills, turning the short green grass gold. Her curtains were buffeted by a warm spring breeze, blowing in the scents of jasmine and springtime.

Reyna staggered to the bathroom. She checked her reflection.

Yes, definitely the signs of a bad night's sleep.

Her hair was mussed, and her eyes were bloodshot. She slept in her old clothes, the one she wore to fight, so she had stained her bedsheets full of blood and monster goop. Her expression was oddly blank, as if waiting for something. She did not want the citizens of New Rome to see their almighty praetor like this.

Usually, Reyna didn't use the bathroom for showering. Sure, her bathroom was nice, with a shower stall and a bathtub, but she preferred to use the bathhouse. Seriously. Even Elysium couldn't beat the Roman bathhouses.

Reyna stuck a toothbrush in her mouth and turned on the shower into a full blast. The jets of water hit her so hard she nearly spat out the toothbrush. Reyna showered quickly, scrubbing the monster goop out of her hair and off her skin.

There was a knocking on the door.

"Wait!" Reyna yelled, trying to wring the soap suds out of her hair.

The knocking on the door increased in volume.

"Ack! I'm coming!" Reyna yelped, tripping over her own feet as she wrapped herself up in a fluffy towel. She groped around for a bathrobe.

The sound increased so much Reyna almost imagined her door bursting from its hinges. There was no time for the bathrobe.

Reyna staggered over, wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her dogs dashed ahead of her, making it harder than ever to maintain balance. For once, she was regretting waxing her floors the previous night. Wet feet on bare wax was like ice skating without the ice skates.

Reyna threw open the door.

"It's five in the morning, for the sake of it! What do you want?" Reyna demanded. She leaned on the doorframe, trying to hoist the towel higher. Her dogs whined.

Reyna glared at the...

"Oh, hey, Jason." Reyna said lamely, suddenly embarrassed.

"Hi," Jason replied, blue eyes bulging.

"Um..." Reyna shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh... I was about to say..." Jason looked even more uncomfortable than Reyna.

"Go on," Reyna used her frosty, state-your-business-now voice. Unfortunately, her frosty, state-your-business-now voice did not coexist well with dripping hair and a... oh my gods... a Mickey Mouse towel.

"Piper and I... we're going to Camp Half-Blood for a few weeks, and... just to let you know."

Of course, Jason wasn't silly enough to offer, "Why don't you come with us?"

If he did ask, Reyna would be torn between duty and personal feelings again.

"Oh, all right," Reyna tried her best to sound nonchalant.

"Great," Jason smiled hesitantly. "I'll be going, then,"

Reyna watched Jason saunter down the lane to the barracks. Frank and Hazel had moved into his old house.

Reyna closed the door and sat back on the couch, not really caring if she soaked the cushions. Reyna glanced out a window. Piper was running to Jason, arms out. Jason spun her around and they kissed, rolling on the grass. As they stood up, they walked hand in hand to the bakery where they came out again clutching expressos and chocolate muffins.

Reyna closed her eyes. Such fantasies were nothing but dreams.

When Reyna opened her eyes again, it was six forty-five. She'd actually fallen asleep.

Reyna leapt up, snapping awake. She dashed to the shower. Her hair had dried out, stiff and rough.

Breakfast began at six, but praetors were expected to be there at five-thirty. She was already late.

Reyna scrubbed her hair furiously, washing away every trace of blood. She managed to dress and run out the door at five fifty. After running a few paces, she remembered her dignity. She slowed to a brisk walk, hoping no one had seen her wild expression and flying feet.

It was almost six when she reached the Great Hall. Some centurions were already there, chugging down coffee and pastries. Dakota was swigging on his Kool-Aid. A trickle ran down his chin, giving him the appearance of a vampire. For the millionth time, Reyna was grateful Dakota wasn't addicted to wine.

"Sorry for being late. So, what's up today?" Reyna asked. She strode over to the Praetor's Table where Frank, Hazel and Gwen were looking at a map.

"We'll need to rebuilt several parts of the aqueduct. Polybotes wasn't too gentle with it," Hazel noted.

Frank grunted in agreement.

"We also need to take a look at Jupiter's temple. Porphyrion practically demolished it," Gwen said.

Reyna winced as she remembered the thunderous crash as Porphyrion flattened Jupiter's temple with his bare fists, roaring loud enough to make the ground shake.

"Basically, the village and barracks are a little scorched, but that's pretty much it, really," Frank finished. "Today, we'll all have to help out with the clean-up. The reconstruction will take maybe a week or two. With the help of Camp Half-Blood, we'll get the job done faster. The Hephaestus kids are pure mechanics. They can fix the aqueducts. The Athena campers, especially Annabeth can redesign Jupiter's Temple. The Demeter kids can help out with the lost greenery. After breakfast, we can begin,"

"Good job," Reyna was honestly impressed. Even though half of Camp Half-Blood would be leaving along with half of the Romans, the amount of manpower was more than enough to rebuild the ruined city. Frank's plan was brilliant.

"After breakfast, we'll count up how many people are left and we can get to work," Reyna said. "Those that are injured too badly can stay and recover. We can set goals for every project, and once the daily goals are completed, there can be training. The Greeks have certain methods that are pretty good. We can exchange techniques..."

"What?"

Octavian stormed into the Dining Pavilion.

"Reyna, are you mad? Letting the Greeks live with us is bad enough. Sharing our techniques with them... that's crossing the line!"

"Octavian..." Frank began.

"Zip it, you filthy Graecus scum!" Octavian snapped.

"You're calling me Graecus scum?" Frank demanded angrily.

A couple of Greek campers wandered into the Great Hall. When they heard "Graecus scum", their perplexed expressions turned furious.

"Who's calling us Graecus scum?" the leader demanded. She was a burly girl with wild hair and angry eyes.

"Clarisse, no one's insulting you," Hazel said, but Octavian cut her off.

"Yes, I'm calling you Graecus scum. You wanna see what a Roman is? You'd better get out of New Rome or I'll..."

Reyna clubbed Octavian over the head with her sword and glanced apologetically at Clarisse.

"I'm sorry, Clarisse. Octavian's a little tired after the battle. He keeps on seeing bad omens, but it doesn't matter, honestly. Just... forget we said anything, all right?" Reyna said.

Clarisse narrowed her eyes.  
"I'll be back once that scarecrow wakes," she warned, jabbing a grimy finger at Reyna, Octavian, and then herself. She rudely grabbed a Dr. Pepper and stormed out the Great Hall.

Even though the two praetors didn't use words, their expressions were the same.

It was a close call. If the Ares campers were on their bad side... the consequences could be disastrous.

**Sorry, guys. This chapter is a little boring. I'll try my best to make them more interesting. **


	3. Chapter 3: Arai Suck

**Hi guys! **

**This chapter might be a little short, but there's action in it, so I guess it shouldn't be too bad. **

**Enjoy!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Three: Arai Suck**

Basically, breakfast went relatively well.

Apart from a couple of beaned heads, there were no fights or squabbles. Once breakfast was over, the demigods trooped to the Fields of Mars.

"Those who are going to Camp Half-Blood, come to my right!" Annabeth called, waving her arms. "Those who are staying, get to my left!"

The demigods moved. There were a couple of good-byes and such, but really, everything went smoothly.

Nico, Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Leo and Calypso were going back to Camp Half-Blood.

"Five of the Seven are leaving," Hazel murmured sadly. "I'm going to miss them,"

Reyna remembered Annabeth's kindness to the younger girl. Frank grunted.

"How are we going to get to Half-Blood?" a Roman yelled.

"Oh! We're going to take a train there. It'll be a long trip. There are no bathrooms, so I'd advise you to use the bathroom before we leave," Percy replied carelessly.

"How long will the trip be?" another Roman asked.

"Um... six hours?"

The demigods going to Camp Half-Blood made a mad rush to the bathrooms. The remaining demigods gawped.

"Ah..."

Reyna cleared her throat.

"Today, we will be focusing on the repairs. Can the Hephaestus campers stand to one side? The Athena cabin can help out with Temple Hill. Annabeth will send the blueprints later. The Demeter campers can start fixing the greenery. If you don't know what to do, you can help moving away the debris. Set your own goals, but Camp Jupiter must be completed after two weeks. Is that a deal?"

There were mumbles of agreement.

"Let's get going!" Reyna said.

Suddenly, Reyna spotted something climbing high in the sky, heading towards Camp Jupiter. It was a dark cloud from afar, but the cloud moved quickly. Soon, Reyna could see the alarming details: old grannies with grimy hair and patchy bat wings.

"The _arai_!" Percy yelled. "What are they doing here?"

The Romans and Greeks alike whirled around. The arai descended and soon, the Fields of Mars was a battlefield.

A centurion beside her stabbed an arai. Then, he doubled over, screaming as blood poured from a nonexistent wound from his chest. Gwen whacked an arai out of the air, only to stumble back in pain as her legs broke like wishbones.

The arai were the curses. Kill one and suffer a curse. Demigods were falling left and right.

Reyna roared in rage. She raised her javelin and threw it, skewering five or six arai like a shish kebab. There were so many arai and they were packed so tightly together it was impossible to miss.

Immediately, Raina clutched her neck as blood poured down. She briefly remembered flying after the Argo II before the final battle, riding Scipios as she beheaded gryphons left and right.

Nearby, she saw a centurion fall, an arai's claws tearing open his throat. His body was laced with dozens of wounds, gushing blood. He opened his mouth to scream, but only a horrible gurgling noise came out.

Reyna screamed. She stumbled forward and picked up her javelin, slicing the arai. The arai shrieked as they disintegrated like bags of drink mix.

Reyna paused to look up.

"Gwen!" Reyna yelled as she sprinted forward.

Gwen was utterly defenseless, her sword had skittered away. She was trying to protect her face as a arai tore at her arms. Her useless legs were thrashing wildly in.

Reyna leaped forward. In one expert stroke, the arai burst.

_You have chosen the Earth Mother's curse._

Reyna felt a horrible sense of dread settle in her stomach.

_Filthy demigod. You brought the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood, uniting the demigods. The Earth Mother has fallen, but not before cursing you. You shall fall, far more spectacularly than any other. The darkest part of your mind will be unleashed, and you will be alone again... for the rest of you life. _

Reyna felt a burst of pain, like liquid fire shooting through her veins.

Beside her, Jason screamed her name. Piper was sobbing, clutching Jason's arm. Suddenly, Reyna wanted to pulverize Piper, but she was in too much pain.

"Jason," she croaked.

Jason roared. Percy did too. The water in the aqueduct rose. Thunder flashed. A hurricane, like the one they created together at Charleston appeared, washing away the arai. The arai shrieked as they were blown away. The Hephaestus campers threw bags of Celestial Bronze dust into the water, disintegrating the arai.

The pain faded, as if it was never there at all. Reyna stood up, shaky but alive.

"Reyna, are you all right?" Jason asked. Reyna was suddenly mystified by Jason's hands on her shoulder and arm, helping her up.

"I'm fine," Reyna said. Piper looked relieved. She started crying. Seriously, must the pretty little princess be such a drama queen?

"All right, let's go treat the wounded," Reyna called. Apollo campers ran about, bringing ambrosia and nectar.

For some crazy reason, Reyna smiled... a strange, smile.

**So... the darkness in her mind has been released. **

**I'll try to update as soon as possible. Please R&R, and give me ideas about what to write next! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Whisper in Her Mind

**Hello, everyone. **

**Sorry for the delay, as I didn't update the story yesterday. **

**Lorenmar: Thank you for the comments! I really appreciate them. I'll try my best to update as soon as possible. **

_**After the Second War**_

**Chapter Four: A Whisper in Her Mind**

Once the battle with the arai was over, the demigods began to tend to their wounds. After chugging down the nectar and ambrosia, they flocked to the bathhouses to refresh themselves. The Greeks went as well, so it was twice as crowded.

Reyna and the Seven began to count the casualties and pondered why the arai had left Tartarus just to fight them. The war was over!

"Maybe they just wanted revenge," Annabeth suggested. "Percy killed a whole lot of them in Tartarus," Annabeth kissed Percy.

Reyna felt like gagging, but she didn't, obviously.

"Maybe they wanted to dwindle down our numbers so the monsters can strike back and finish us for all," Hazel said thoughtfully.

"I highly doubt it," Piper pointed out, "Without a leader, the monsters are too stupid to group together and fight back. I mean, Percy killed the minotaur _twice _without a scratch."

Percy began to frown. He was probably remembering the time when his mother was kidnapped by Hades.

"All right," Reyna changed the topic. "Maybe we should go refresh ourselves. The demigods can leave for Camp Half-Blood tomorrow. I think we had enough messes to deal with today."

"Right," Frank agreed. "I heard that Bombilo **(Bombilo is the two-headed coffee merchant from **_**The Son of Neptune**_**. I didn't make him up!) **has made a fresh batch of coffee and muffins. Is anyone hungry?"

There were mumbles of agreement as the meeting dispersed.

Reyna bought a muffin and a caramel latte and entered her house. She tossed her dogs a few scraps of meat before settling down. The muffins were awesome.

Reyna cancelled the construction plans for the day. There was enough excitement to last a long, long time.

Reyna slipped into her swimsuit and dunked herself underwater. The water was crystal clear, apart from the thick, fluffy layer of flowery bubble bath floating near the surface.

It was six thirty in the evening, and in thirty minutes, everyone would be getting themselves into the Great Hall for dinner. Still, Reyna couldn't turn down the idea of a massive circular pool, a table full of refreshments and magazines all for herself.

Chunks of demon dust and blood fell from her body, flushed away by a swift current. The room smelled like jasmine and lilies of the valley.

Suddenly, there were two splashes near the other end of the pool and the sound of laughing. Reyna poked her head out of the water, annoyed. Wasn't everyone supposed to be cleaning up and ready for dinner?

Reyna treaded water, trying not to splash. She reached the other end of the pool, and saw Jason and Piper.

Reyna brushed the bubbles out of her hair. She took a deep breath.

"Hi," Reyna said.

"Oh, hey, Reyna!" Piper smiled. She shielded her face as Jason splashed some water towards her.

"Hey!" Piper protested. She splashed some water back. Soon, the two of them were giggling and kissing.

Reyna fought down the bile rising from her throat.

"Careful," Reyna warned. "The bubble bath I put in here... it might sting your eyes,"

Once Reyna was finished speaking, both Piper and Jason were scrubbing furiously at their eyes. Since their hands were soapy, they cringed as the pain increased.

Reyna handed them the last towel on the rack. Jason, of course, being the gentleman gave the towel to Piper first. Piper used one end to scrub her eyes, as the other end landed in the water.

Reyna shook her head quietly.

Reyna got up and fetched a new batch of towels. She quickly dried herself.

"Where are you going?" Jason asked.

Reyna felt a shiver up her spine. She remembered when Jason first came to Camp Jupiter. Whenever Reyna left, wether the matter was emotional, urgent, or even when she is using the bathroom, Jason would ask her where she is going. His tone sounded as if he actually cared for her, not just as a friend or sister, but as a lover.

"I need to get some paperwork done," Reyna replied, thanking the gods her voice didn't betray any hint of emotion.

"All right," Jason said distractedly as he leaned down to kiss Piper.

Reyna slipped into the Girl's Locker Room to change. She put on a Camp Jupiter T-shirt, jeans, buckled on her breastplate and pinned on her Praetor's cloak.

Suddenly, she slipped. The world tilted as she landed on her back, breath driven from her lungs. She stood up quickly, using a bench as support. She glanced at the ground.

It was a slip of paper.

_Do you like Reyna?_

_She's kind of strict._

_She's REALLY strict. _

_I wish Piper is the praetor._

_Me2_

_I wish Reyna slips on a banana peel and dies. _

_OMG! Don't be mean!_

The rest of the paper was torn away.

Reyna crushed the sheet of paper in her fist and hurled it into the trash can. How dare they!

Reyna brushed off her armor and strode out the bathhouse. Her ears were steaming and her face was crimson.

_Piper as the praetor, eh_?

Reyna froze in mid-step.

"What?"

_Piper doesn't deserve to be praetor. She stole Jason from you. You know Jason better than anyone else does, and you deserve to be with him. She used her charmspeak to charm Jason. Pulverize her! She deserves it!_

"No," Reyna was astonished at how sturdy her voice is. "No, Piper has won Jason over rightfully, and I will not challenge her,"

The voice faded away.

"Reyna?"

Reyna glanced behind her back. It was Hazel.

"Oh, Hazel. What do you want?" Reyna asked.

"It's almost dinner, and the _aures _made your favorite food. They asked me to tell you."

"Oh!" Reyna loosened. "All right. I'll be there soon. I need to wash my old clothes."

"OK," Hazel padded down the lane.

Reyna tossed her clothes in the laundry basket. The voice in her head... was it part of her curse? No, the curse must have been over. The moment of jealously in the bathhouse... Yes, that's the _arai's _curse. It's definitely over.

Is it?

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though it might be a little boring. **

**Please R&R, and give some ideas! I'll hit a Writer's Block sooner or later, and I'll be needing a lot of help. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5: Teardrops on My Guitar

**Yes! This is the second chapter today!**

**So... Enjoy! Don't forget to Rate and Review!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Five: Teardrops on My Guitar**

The Dining Room was in a flurry of excitement. Everyone was talking about the arai, sharing tales and ogling over injuries.

Reyna, Calypso and the Seven sat at the Praetor's table. Reyna's gut twisted whenever Jason and Piper kissed. Seriously, was her crush on Jason _that _bad?

Yes, her crush on Jason _is _that bad.

Reyna gave announcements: Today's arai attack was very bad, but at least none of us are dead. Always arm yourselves, and never let your guard down. Stay safe and don't do anything reckless. Leaving to Camp Half-Blood will be tomorrow. Have a good-night and all lights will be turned off at nine PM.

If anyone didn't know better, Reyna might sound like a bothersome mother.

Frank's speech was somewhat more interesting: Today's arai attack is very severe, but don't worry! We'll prepare magic boundaries.

Frank talked about the construction, cracked a few lame jokes and sat down.

Reyna didn't want to be mean, but some of Frank's jokes were seriously lame. For example:

1: Why do Enceladus hate satyrs? Because satyrs eat Enchiladas! (This caused quite an argument between satyrs and fauns. "Why isn't it 'Why do Enceladus hate _fauns_?' We eat Enchiladas too!")

2:Who are the stars of Madagascar 2? Lemures!

3: What does Porphyrion fear? Porpoises! Porphyrion can be mispronounced as 'Porpoise fear'! Get it?

**(Some of the jokes are sort of borrowed from Rick Riordan, just to let you know)**

Even though the jokes are kind of... lame, it eased the tension and everyone was laughing like crazy. Annabeth had to perform the Hiemlich maneuver to Percy, which not only dislodged the chunk of blueberry pie but six slices of pepperoni pizza as well.

A total of seven Hiemlich Maneuvers and ten thousand choking people were counted.

Once dinner was over, the campers trooped to the Fields of Mars for a campfire sing-along. Seriously, the Fields of Mars was once created for War Games. Now, it was a sing-along place.

Reyna sat by the fire and enjoyed the pleasant heat from the flames. The flames turned from red to orange to gold, flying higher and higher, spraying sparks into the dark night air.

The Romans didn't really know how to sing Greek songs, and the Greeks didn't really know how to sing Latin songs. In the end, they compromised ended up singing Greek and Latin songs.

In the end, the Romans and Greeks tried to out-sing each other, yelling at the top of their lungs. Reyna clapped her fists over her ears, but it didn't really help. What the heck, the camp sounded like a mixture of wild animals screaming in pain.

Oh well, in a way, they were.

After ten minutes of hollering, both camps slumped down, exhausted. When Hazel rolled in a cart of lemon tea, it was practically a riot.

Someone started singing _Teardrops on My Guitar _by Taylor Swift, and that is without a doubt the most painful song ever.

"_I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about. And she's got everything that I have to live without..." _

Reyna's gut clenched. Oh yes, Piper was beautiful. In fact, she was so beautiful the word 'beautiful' barely covered it.

"_That girl he talks about..."_

Doesn't Jason have anything else to talk about other than Piper?

"_And she's got everything that I have to live without..."_

Definitely. Piper did have everything Reyna had to live without: respect (No, not really. If she did have respect, then why would those people write that awful note about her?), beauty (Sure, Reyna didn't look bad, but beside Piper, she's the Wicket Witch of the West, minus the green skin), charmspeak (Apart from some fighting skill (which just about everyone has), Reyna has no special ability at all), and a boyfriend.

_Your boyfriend. _

"Shut up!" Reyna hissed to herself.

A few campers gave her a "What's going on?" look. Reyna forced a smile.

By the time Reyna's internal squabble was over, the song had ended and the campers were singing "Move like the Jagger".

Thank the gods. Nothing too bad about that song.

_**A few hours later...**_

Reyna lay in bed, not really knowing what to do. Her love for Jason was tearing her inside out.

_Why don't you kill some monsters?_

Without any hesitation, Reyna grabbed her javelin and dagger, strapped on her armor and slid outside of camp. She pinned a note to her door, telling everyone that she'll be back.

Reyna trooped outside the camp, her hounds sprinting in front of her.

Was she suicidal? What the heck, definitely!

Some people read to relax themselves. Some people draw or do math. Some people punch their pillows. Reyna kills monsters.

Reyna wanted to get her hands bloody. She wanted to kill monsters. She _needed _to kill monsters. It was the best way of calming herself down.

Reyna entered the woods. She had borrowed an Ipad from the Camp's secret stash. The second she turned it on, dozens of roars echoed around the woods.

There was a horrible slithering sound, and a Dracanae emerged from the woods. She carried a crude wooden spear, and bared her fangs.

"Come on, you!" Reyna yelled. It wasn't the best battle cry, but again, she wasn't feeling her best anyway.

The snake-woman didn't even stand a chance. Poof! Drink mix packet equals exploded.

Hearing the shrieks, even more monsters began to roar.

"Come on, you cowards!" Reyna screamed.

Suddenly, the woods became too cramped, filled with monsters: the Earthborn, Lastygonians, Cyclopes, wild centaurs, Dracanae and Empousai.

Reyna yelled as she vaulted over a Cyclops. The beast made a grab for her, but she sliced off his hand for the good measure. The Cyclops roared in rage, but Reyna had poked his eye out with her javelin. The monster dissolved into dust.

Reyna waded through masses of monsters, killing left and right. She beheaded an Empousa and stabbed a telkhine in the gut.

"Oh my gods!"

"What the heck?"

"Reyna!"

Once every single monster has been disintegrated, Reyna dared to look back at camp. Just about every single camper was gathered at the riverbanks of the Little Tiber, gawping at their praetor.

"You killed every single monster in those woods," Percy sounded as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I did," Reyna said.

"You lured them to you, and you killed them?" Annabeth asked in disbelief. "That's suicidal."

Reyna glanced at the scuffed and cracked Ipad.

"Yeah," Reyna said awkwardly.

Fighting monsters is one thing, but killing them for fun...

Fortunately, Reyna was a fast thinker.

"I couldn't sleep tonight," Reyna began. Well, that part is true. "I thought about Hazels theory: what if the monsters are regrouping for another attack? I came out here to check. Then, I brought the Ipad over, and decided that I might as well kill every single monster here, so they couldn't terrorize us anymore. The monster rebellion is certainly dead."

The campers gazed at her with newfound respect. Respect! Finally!

The crowd filtered away, some grabbing souvenirs (spoils of war). Reyna disappeared into her house. Her heartbeat was racing, her breath was short, but it was wonderful.

_See, I told you it wouldn't be that bad._

The voice in her head usually spoke in a monotone, but this time, Reyna swore the voice sounded smug.

"All right," Reyna said. "I'm going to sleep, so I'd better not hear a peep from you till morning,"

Perhaps listening to the voice mightn't be that bad after all.

**I hope this chapter isn't too bad. **

**Please R&R, and I'll try to update as soon as possible. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6: Difficult to Hate

**Hello, everyone. **

**Enjoy the story!**

_**Lorenmar: I'll try my best to put your ideas into the story. Thank you for your reviews! **_

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Six: Difficult to Hate**

Reyna woke up feeling refreshed.

She entered the bathroom and glanced at herself in the mirror. She definitely had a good night's sleep. Her face was flushed, as if she had killed the monsters a few minutes earlier. Her eyes were bright, and she felt awesome.

_Did you sleep well?_

"Yeah," Reyna said.

She showered quickly, washing off the monster gunk.

**An hour minutes later...**

Percy and Jason were gathering the leaving Campers on the Fields of Mars.

Reyna finished off her bagel quickly and walked over.

"All right, people! Listen up! We're going to be leaving soon, and as said before, there will be no bathroom breaks! So, do you guys have everything?" Annabeth called.

There were mumbles of agreement.

_Do you want to go as well?_

"Sort of," Reyna admitted. "But I have to stay here,"

_Must you? What about Jason?_

"Gods, stop talking about Jason!"

_All right, but what about your fellow campers? Fights would break out left and right without a Roman leader to watch them..._

"Wait!" Reyna yelped.

Everyone seemed to swivel their heads to glance at her.

"I would like to go to Camp Half-Blood as well," Reyna said.

"What?" Jason looked astonished. So did Piper and just about everyone else.

"I think it would be a good idea for one praetor to go to Camp Half-Blood, to prevent arguments and such." Reyna explained.

"Octavian might stir up some troubles of his own," Annabeth countered.

"Ah..." Reyna said.

_Take Octavian with you._

"Well, you won't have to worry about Octavian! He's coming with me!"

"What?"

Octavian was trotting down the sidewalk, chowing down a wedge of cheesecake while slurping coffee messily. His augur's robes were smeared with random bits of cream. He looked up indignantly when he heard his name.

"Yes, Octavian," Reyna said, "I am going to Camp Half-Blood to take care of the Romans, and you are coming with me. I can't afford to have you making trouble again,"

Octavian's face turned into a ridiculous shade of purple as he began to make a strange noise, somewhere between a complaining whine and a squawk.

Reyna didn't hesitate. She covered the distance quickly as she grabbed Octavian's shirt collar and dragged him over. A half-eaten cheesecake did a face-plant on the sidewalk and the fresh green grass was watered by coffee. The nature spirits probably wouldn't like it, but hey! It was an accident (sort of)!

"All right, then," Annabeth frowned vaguely. She grabbed a fistful of drachmas and denarii and tossed them on a gray patch of ground. The ground seemed to melt, and suddenly, a train appeared.

The train wasn't like a normal train. It seemed as if it was made of grey smoke.

"Oh no, not the One-eyed, One-toothed psycho triplet ladies," Percy groaned loudly.

"The Grey Ladies?" Piper guessed.

"Let's get up there, everyone!" Annabeth called.

"Do we have to?" Percy whined. Reyna forced down a chuckle. It seemed as if only Annabeth was immune to those baby-seal sea green eyes.

"Yes, you have to, Percy. They're the fastest way. There aren't enough pegasi and eagles to carry half the camp over." Annabeth explained.

Reyna glanced at Octavian. He stood up and boggled at the train.

"The Greeks are letting us into a trap! We're all going to die! We have to fight back!" Octavian screeched, bobbing his scarecrow head.

"Shut up," Reyna groaned.

"We need to..."

Reyna promptly clubbed Octavian over the head. Octavian crumpled to the ground.

"Let's go!" Reyna said cheerfully.

She grabbed Octavian's left foot and dragged him through the grass. When she climbed up the stairs up the train, Octavian went "Ow, ow, ow, ow," as his head bonked the stairs.

"You're going to yank his leg out of its socket," Percy noted.

"Yeah, I hope he doesn't mind if his left leg is two inches longer than his right," Reyna grumbled. Percy cracked up.

"Let's bet," Percy suggested. "At Camp Half-Blood, we can borrow a measuring tape from the Hephaestus cabin. If his leg really is two inches longer than his right, you owe me a six-pack of Coke,"

"If his leg is the same length, you owe me..."

"Guys!" Annabeth hissed.

"Oh, sorry," Percy and Reyna hopped out of the way, as they were blocking the entrance when they were betting.

Reyna sat at the front of the train. The Seven (except for Hazel and Frank) were scattered everywhere, to keep the tension down.

Inside the train... everything was grey as well. Grey seats, grey windows, grey floor, grey seat belts that looked like dead skin. For some reason, there were grey pails beside every seat.

Reyna's arms ached. The scrawny scarecrow was actually heavier than he looked.

Reyna tossed Octavian on the seat beside her. Soon, the demigods were all seated and ready.

"Welcome to the Grey Ladies' transportation," a raspy voice blared through the intercom. "Please buckle your seat belt and have a pleasant journey,"

Immediately, the train bucked. The scenery blurred dramatically, and everyone puked.

The Grey Ladies were horrible drivers.

(Unfortunately), they had forgotten to turn off the intercom, and everyone could hear every single word of their arguement.

"No, I need the eye!"

"Where's the eye?"

"Don't look at me!"

"Oh! Here it is!"

"Gimme the eye!"

"I can't see where I'm going!"  
"Hold it, we're running towards a mountain..."

"Yikes!"

The train swerved, and Reyna crashed against Octavian.

"What?" Octavian leapt up, and screamed when the train twisted.

Suddenly, Reyna could see what the pail was for. Everyone had retched what they had eaten, and the smell of sick was sickening.

Octavian grabbed the pail and puked.

Reyna gagged at the stench of rancid coffee and moldy cheese coming from the pail. She felt like throwing up too.

"Hello, everyone!" Piper warbled. She held a microphone. "Congratulations! Only five hours and fifty-five minutes to go!"

Only _five minutes _had passed?

"This might be a little difficult, but..."

Piper's comment was cut off by a shriek as the train did a 360 degree turn and the pails upturned.

Reyna closed her eyes and tried to remain sane.

**12:00 noon, Camp Half-Blood**

In the end, the journey wasn't as bad as it seemed.

After the train did the 360, Piper charmspeaked everyone to go to sleep, so that ended the problem.

With the help of Chiron, the demigods were sorted into cabins. Those whose parents have no Greek counterparts (such as Pompona and Bellona... Reyna included) slept at the Big House or under the stars.

Once that was done, everyone trooped to the Dining Pavilion.

Most campers choked down saltine crackers and other bland foods. Surprisingly, Reyna managed to eat a sandwich.

Tours were given, and the Romans felt right at home.

Reyna made sure Octavian was carefully locked up in the Big House, and made him promise on the River Styx that he wouldn't cause any trouble or stir any rebellions.

It was a sunny, pleasant day. Why shouldn't she enjoy it?

**6:00, in the evening**

During dinner, Piper, of all people, was kind to her.

As the only daughter of Bellona, Reyna had pretty much nowhere to sit. During lunch, she ate on the grass. Now, a couple of new tables were sent in, and everyone had a seat except for her.

"Come sit with us!" Piper suggested.

Reyna stiffly sat down.

Someone brought over a plate of pizza. It was pepperoni and olive with extra cheese. Delicious.

Reyna stood in line as she scraped a few slices.

"For Bellona," Reyna said quietly. "Help me get used to this, please,"

After dinner, Reyna sat down on the grass. She pretty much didn't bring any clothes, except for an extra pair of jeans and a Camp Jupiter T-shirt. She brought some toiletries, but that's it, really.

"Hey," Piper padded over. She had a pillow and a sleeping bag in her hands, along with a few extra shirts and lingerie.

"Thanks," Reyna was astounded as Piper handed her the materials and helped her spread the sleeping bag on the grass.

"No problem," Piper said kindly. Her beautiful eyes swirled with dozens of color, but they were all filled with affection.

Reyna suddenly wanted to cry. She had seen Piper as a bad guy, but in reality, Piper was too kind, the nice heroine. Reyna didn't deserve the kindness.

Reyna was tempted to tell Piper, apologize for wanting Jason, but what came out of her mouth was, "Thank you,"

"That's the second time you said that," Piper said, smiling. "Good night,"

"Good night," Reyna echoed.

_It'd be better if she was easier to hate._

"Shut up," Reyna said to the voice. "You're always wrong. Piper isn't bad,"

_But it still would be better if she was..._

"Zip it!" Reyna yelled, startling a nymph who disappeared with an angry glare.

A few minutes later, Reyna wondered.

Would it be better if Piper was easier to hate?

**Sorry, guys, this chapter might be a little long. **

**Please R&R, and I'll update as soon as possible. I'll try to add more action in it. **


	7. Chapter 7: Discovered

**Sorry, guys. This update has come so late. I've been stuck in a land without Wi-fi for a few days. **

**HawkDramione: Thanks for the compliments! It's true, Reyna does have a breaking point at times. I totally agree with you. **

**Good Job (guest): Thanks for the compliments. **

**Lorenmar: Your comments are wonderful as always. I'll put some of your ideas into the story. Thanks for the comments! **

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Seven: Discovered**

As much as Reyna hated to admit it, the Greek Activities schedule were much more interesting than the Roman ones.

Who knew that the Graecus scum could forge such fascinating bronze designs or shoot with such accuracy?

Immediately, Reyna felt somewhat guilty for treating the Fifth Cohort like trash. In a way, Camp Half-Blood _is _the Fifth Cohort, since they were both the direct descendants of the gods.

**A few moments later...**

Reyna groped for a small handhold on the climbing wall. The Seven sort of made their own schedules, and Reyna tagged along. Sure, why not? At least it's better than hanging with the Ares cabin and Clarisse.

"Are you all right?" Percy yelled to Annabeth as he ducked aside. A massive boulder rolled past him.

"I'm fine!" Annabeth yelled back as she stumbled but managed to hold on.

The climbing wall is basically a wall, with a pool of lava at its foot. If you slipped, you'd be fried. To make it more challenging, boulders, and streams of lava would randomly drop down from the top of the wall. Other sneaky traps were also positioned.

Jason and Piper were climbing somewhere beside her. Annabeth and Percy were slightly ahead, dodging traps. Leo and Calypso were _way _up high. Calypso had magically grown some vines on the wall, so the two of them were pretty much sitting on vine-like seats suspended in mid-air, inching up to the top.

"Need a hand?" Leo asked mischievously.

"No thanks, cheaters!" Percy yelled in response.

"Be nice!" Calypso scolded. "Or I'll throw you down into the lava pit!"

Leo pretended to be afraid. "I'll be nicer, milady! Your anger is unbearable!"

Percy smirked in triumph, but soon found himself smacked on the face by a leaf. Ouch. Based on the jagged sides, that smack must've hurt badly.

Reyna managed to find another handhold. She clung on as her feet groped for a foothold. Once she managed to haul herself up another foot, she managed to grasp onto a particularly large handhold. After arranging herself into a position where she didn't need to use as much strain, Reyna took a quick break.

Reyna glanced at Camp Half-Blood. It was beautiful, really. A warm summer breeze blew by, tinted with the smell of fresh strawberries.

"Reyna!" Jason warned.

Reyna leapt to the side, managing not to lose her balance as a stick that said _Nature Rulz! _poked through a gap. If Jason's warning didn't come, Reyna would have fallen down into the lava with an awful bruise on her forehead.

"Thanks!" Reyna called.

Jason flashed a quick smile before climbing another few inches.

Gods, Jason looked gorgeous. The sunlight bounced off his golden hair, throwing dozens of eight-color rainbows. His biceps flexed as he hauled himself another foot. Then, he reached down to give Piper a hand.

"Reyna, you all right?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Realizing she was last in line, Reyna climbed with renewed effort. After dodging a stream of lava and a couple more poky sticks jutting through the wall, Reyna managed to climb alongside Percy and Annabeth.

Jason and Piper were also gaining. Jason moved ahead to scout the easiest path, giving the best footholds to Piper. Reyna was amazed at how he could actually stay on the wall using handholds the size of paper clips.

"Help!"

Reyna glanced sharply down. Piper was hanging by finger, legs churning the bare air. Her multi-colored eyes were wide with panic.

"Piper!" Jason yelled. He tried to climb down, but was entertained by rolling boulders that missed him by millimeters.

Annabeth and Percy were too high up to be much of help. They could probably reach Piper in time, but they would not only endanger themselves, they would also bowl Reyna down in the process.

When Calypso heard Piper's yelp, she must have lost concentration, because the vine seats snapped and the two of them were flailing down into the pit of lava. Calypso managed to summon the strawberry vines as they lashed and softened the fall, dragging the two demigods/immortal gardener girls onto the grass.

Leo was trying to revive Calypso who had fainted of exhaustion.

Reyna glanced down at Piper again. Reyna could easily reach out and grab Piper, suspending her long enough for her to find another foothold.

_Kick her down._

"Not you again!" Reyna groaned.

"Not who again?" Calypso asked, sitting up groggily.

"Piper!" Calypso's question was drowned by a collective gasp as Piper lost her grip but managed to find another purchase in a split second. A crowd of demigods had gathered, and Chiron was gawping at them, medical bag ready.

"Well don't just stand there!" It was Leo who snapped the silence. "Get help!"

"Get the cleaning harpies! They can carry 'em down!" Katie Gardner yelled.

"Jason! Get her!" A Roman called. The plan would have worked if Jason wasn't too busy dodging boulders.

"Call 911!" a tiny girl... Lacy (?) screamed.

Well... Calling 911 and sending the NYPD into Camp Half-Blood might not be the best idea, considering if the cops actually made it past Peleus the dragon's eucalyptus breath.

_What has she done for you? Grab her hand and let her go! It's an accident! Jason's got to love you after he gets over Piper's death!_

Reyna's chest tightened. Was it truly worth it?

No, it wasn't. If Piper died, Jason would never forgive himself. He would never love anybody else.

Reyna grasped Piper's hand. Piper's feet groped for a foothold. Once she succeeded, she placed her other hand onto the ledge.

Even though Piper was too winded to say anything, her eyes shone the same two words over and over again: Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.

**8:00 PM, campfire sing-along**

The campers were singing around the fire. Unfortunately, Apollo had created a new song: Apollo and his Friends save Olympus for the Second Time.

That song was the worst, since it did not rhyme at all, and the music sounded like a badly tuned violin. The lyrics were haikus.

"Apollo and friends,

They save Olympus again.

They are so awesome."

"Apollo is cool,

He uses his swords to kill

All of the giants."

After a minute, Reyna's ears were practically bleeding. She stumbled to the strawberry fields. The music dimmed, and the song of crickets (which were so much better than the sing-along) chorused into the night.

"I heard you speaking to yourself,"

Of all people, Calypso emerged from the vines, using a delicate hand to pluck a strawberry.

"Yeah, I know. Talking to myself makes things seem... less chaotic," Reyna said carefully. If someone knew their powerful praetor is listening to a voice in her head, that would be awful.

"Do you hear voices in your head?" Calypso asked again.

Reyna stiffened. How did she know?

"Sort of," Reyna decided.

"I hear them too,"

What? _WHAT?_

"You do?" Reyna asked, failing to hide the surprise from her voice.

"Yeah, I do," Calypso said, looking at Reyna.

Calypso had her creamy brown hair tied into a french braid. Her almond shaped eyes were startling, beautiful, but held so much sadness.

"Odysseus, Drake, Percy. They all seem to speak to me in my mind. They promise they'll come back for me, they'll set me free, but in the end, they don't."

"I'm sorry," Reyna managed.

The voices Calypso heard was not some evil spirit (like Reyna's) telling her to kill Piper. Thank goodness.

"It's all right. I'm happy now, thanks to Leo,"

The way Calypso said "Leo,"... It was full of fondness, full of love. Reyna desperately wished someone would say her name like that.

"Ignore the voices," Calypso advised as she stood up gracefully. "They'll do nothing but harm."

With that, Calypso left.

"It's easy," Reyna said aloud. "Ignore the voices."

Is it easy? To ignore the voice?

_No. It isn't easy. _

Reyna bristled. The voice would not stand back.

**Did you like this chapter?**

**Please R&R, and feel free to give some ideas. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8: Out of Control

**It's the first day of seventh grade!**

**Just to apologize, I might not update every day. The homework given is astonishingly massive (I am not joking about this). **

**In any way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Eight: Out of Control**

Reyna sprawled under the stars. Thank the gods (apart from Apollo) the sing-along was over.

Reyna wore a ratty old tank top and shorts. She didn't bother to spread a blanket under her, and didn't really mind the grass stains. Based on some of the disgusted faces the Aphrodite cabin made once she strolled out into the grass and lay down, they wouldn't mind if the shirt got a little more dirty.

The stars were like flecks of glitter strewn into the night sky. Gorgeous. She could see Ursa Major, Orion the Hunter, the Scorpion, and a girl racing across the night skies with a bow in her fist. Zoe Nightshade, the huntress who died in the name of Artemis.

Reyna clung to the blanket on top of her. It smelled like wood smoke, sharp but somewhat pleasant.

Under the night skies, she slept.

**The next morning...**

After a breakfast of whole wheat toast drizzled with honey (natural honey definitely beats the watery stuff you find in convenience stores), Reyna was ready to kick some monsters in the butt.

Soon, Reyna found herself in the amphitheater, pulverizing a dummy. Bits of straw, Styrofoam peanuts and (for some reason) a thermometer that read: _Don't let the sickness get to your goat! _**(This phrase was actually mentioned in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I might not get the phrasing right, but the statement was relatively the same) **poured out of the dummy's chest as Reyna stabbed it with her dagger.

"Nice," Jason grunted as he parried a blow from his dummy. After a few expert strokes, the dummy's head clunked onto the dusty ground.

"They're all pretty sweet," Percy drawled lazily. "But unfortunately, your styles aren't as good as mine,"

Reyna glanced at Percy.

Percy was nibbling at a hangnail on his left hand while fighting with his right hand. Riptide gleamed in the lazy morning sun. The dummy was trying its best to hack Percy into pieces, but failed miserably. Fortunately, Annabeth was in the Athena cabin deciding the wallpaper for the Temple of Jupiter which she was designing. If Annabeth was there... Everyone knew Annabeth hated show-offs, and since Percy was her boyfriend, she would without a doubt double the punishments.

"Dude, why don't you spare that dummy of yours some shame and just crack its head open?" Jason asked, leaning on his sword.

Reyna closed her eyes tightly. Gods, why did Jason just have to look so gorgeous, even when he was sweating like crazy?

When Reyna opened her eyes again, Percy was twirling around his dummy like a ballet dancer. When Leo and Calypso began to leave, Percy pirouetted and sliced the dummy neatly into halves while doing a backflip in the air.

His skills ("Percy! Stop showing off!" Annabeth snapped, storming forward and bonking his head with a roll of blueprints before giving him a quick kiss) had gathered a crowd. The demigods applauded and drifted away.

**7:00 PM, Capture the Flag**

It was Greeks VS Romans.

Since Camp Jupiter had less pure half-bloods, the direct children of the gods, Chiron made sure the Greeks wouldn't set any traps, though the Romans were allowed to. Unfortunately, the Greeks (especially the Hephaestus Cabin) looked ready to bash some Roman heads in.

Reyna made sure the catapults were manned and ready. Even though the Greeks weren't ready to admit it, a couple of them admitted the Roman traps were pretty ingenious. Trip wires a nanometer (ten nanometers are about as thick as a strand of your hair) thin that would tip jars of centaur blood on your head? Pits filled with spikes that (unfortunately) weren't lethal but would hurt wore than the Fields of Punishments?

When Chiron blew the horn, Reyna led the charge. The two phalanxes crashed together, sending explosions of sparks and screams, both in defiance and in pain.

Reyna cleaved past two Ares campers who missed her by centimeters but ended up wounding each other instead. She swept her javelin and knocked three Demeter campers down, causing the snaking roots of poison ivy to shrivel in surprise.

The plan was simple: Reyna would lead the charge. When the Twelfth Legion held the Greeks off, Reyna and a few others would try their best to find the flag.

Reyna snuck along a brush, eyes scanning for the bright orange flag with the Camp Half-Blood logo on it. The undergrowth soon cleared into the cabins, silent under the stars. There it is: right on top of the Poop Pile... I mean Zeus's Fist. Seriously, the Poop Pile seemed more of a suitable name.

Reyna crawled forward hesitantly. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. Were there any traps? Nothing.

Reyna climbed the Poop Pile, grateful for the jutting stones that made excellent footholds. She grabbed the flag and proceeded slowly down.

It was little Harley, the eight year old Hephaestus camper that ruined everything. While coming down, Reyna heard a squeak of excitement. Immediately, Reyna knew that the Greeks weren't hiding in the undergrowth. They were hiding _behind _the Poop Pile, the only place Reyna could not see.

Seven Greeks, including Harley emerged. Dragged down by the massive flag, Reyna could barely draw her dagger.

As the Greeks charged, Reyna used her javelin to sweep three of them down, who tumbled onto the ground with yelps of surprise. She intercepted a camper with a brutish face with her dagger and deftly knocked Harley out (though she barely caused a bruise.). A fellow Hephaestus camper made a grab for Harley, leaving two of the biggest, meanest campers for her to fight.

Reyna yelled. She tackled the biggest of the bunch, bashing his head onto the ground. When she was yanked back, Reyna flipped over expertly, wriggling out of his fist like an eel. She tripped him. In the process, her javelin had rolled out of her grip. As she placed the dagger on his throat (not to actually kill him but just to scare him).

Sure enough, they were still on the top of Zeus's fist.

The camper lashed out on her stomach. Reyna gasped as the breath was driven from her lungs. Her nerveless fingers released her dagger.

Now, she was facing a camper thrice as big as her and five times as strong.

Reyna yelled again. The camper yelled back.

How comical they must look! A lady barbarian and a male barbarian yelling at each other, silhouetted by the moon.

Reyna tacked the camper, catching him off guard again.

Reyna snuck a glance at the other campers. Most of them were groaning on the grass. They had fallen in such an angle they received nothing but bruises and scrapes. If someone were to fall head first...

_Throw him off._

Oh no... Reyna thought desperately.

Suddenly, Reyna's hand loosened. With a flailing cry, the camper fell down, head first onto the grass. There was an awful snap.

"You killed him!"

Reyna didn't know who had said it.

Her hands... they weren't hers.

They were the voice's.

**I hope you enjoy my little cliff-hanger. **

**Please R&R. The more reviews, the sooner I'll update! **


	9. Chapter 9: Spiraling Downhill

**I am sorry (no, not really) for the little cliff-hanger I left the previous chapter. I also apologize for updating so late. As mentioned before, the amount of homework the teachers give is fairly outrageous. **

**So... enjoy!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Nine: Spiraling Downhill**

Once Reyna left the Big House, she strode over to the nearest secluded are and thanked the gods till her voice was hoarse.

When the camper had fallen, it was incredibly fortunate Chiron was nearby. The fellow campers carried the fallen camper to the Big House. Chiron made them all swear on the River Styx not to gossip about his event. He didn't want to make anyone panic.

Reyna told the story over and over again. She told the campers that the fallen camper had thrashed around and she had simply lost her grip on the well oiled armor. The story was pretty believable.

As for the rest of the demigods, the fallen Camper had simply slipped off Zeus's Fist and fallen down.

Reyna wanted to tell Chiron about the voice, but didn't have the time.

After a long hour of waiting, Chiron trotted out of the infirmary and declared the news: the camper lives!

**7:00 PM, the strawberry fields**

Reyna grabbed a basket and went to the strawberry fields. Now, it was her private 'Reyna Time' spot.

Reyna plucked a strawberry.

The strawberries produced were the good ones, the big, firm, sweet ones with dark red skins and a sharp, pleasant taste. Nowadays, the strawberries you find in the supermarkets are all small and squishy, in unnatural shades of pink and purple, all of them sickeningly sweet.

Reyna closed her eyes as she bit into the strawberry, teeth sinking into its firm fruit. Delicious.

_Well that didn't go as well. _

Reyna spluttered, coughing up a disgusting little blob of chewed up strawberry and pink saliva.

"What the heck?" Reyna demanded.

_I'm insulted. You were about to tell Chiron? You would actually have me removed?_

"Well, what have you done for me?" Reyna demanded. "All you did is to give bad advice about MY love life and me ME kill someone!"

_But the camper isn't dead. _

"He could have been!"

_But he isn't!_

Reyna swore colorfully. A pretty little strawberry nymph was walking by when she heard Reyna. The pale green face turned into a ridiculous shade of purple. She stuttered something angrily and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

**6:00 AM, the strawberry fields**

_**Piper's POV**_

Piper picked her way through the thick leafy vines. She had found a little cookbook under someone's bunk. As she flipped through it, she made a mental list of what she could make.

Cheesecake? Some of the Seven might be allergic to diary.

Baguette? Sure, why not? It's fresh and soft for the first few days, but after a while, it would be like gnawing on rocks. **(Trust me. I've tried eating week old baguettes before. If it isn't like chewing rocks, it's like chewing on those bendy rubber toys for the little puppies to play with.)**

In the end, Piper decided on Strawberry Shortcake. She could ask Travis and Connor to smuggle her some of the biscuits. Cream and sugar would be easy to get. The strawberries... well... did you even need to ask?

Piper hummed as she picked the plump, red strawberries bursting with flavor. She would soak the strawberries in sugar, whip the vanilla and cream together before pouring the cream over the biscuits, adding the sliced strawberries on the top. The process is easy and simple.

Piper nearly tripped over her own feet when she saw Reyna.

Reyna was standing there, the wind loosening locks of dark hair from the neatly done braid. Her golden armor gleamed in the morning sun, and her rich purple cloak was carelessly thrown over an arm.

"It's good to see you, Piper,"

Piper hesitated. Her voice... it was like Reyna's voice... but... why did it sound so... foreign?

"Hi," Piper ventured cautiously.

Reyna turned around and Piper's blood froze into ice.

It was Reyna's smile, but again, it wasn't. Her smile was so cold, so tight. Her dark eyes were strangely blank.

"Making a... what do you youngster's call it... strawberry sorbet?"

"A sorbet is an ice cream. I'm making a strawberry shortcake." Piper said.

Every instinct screamed at her to run, but for some reason, Piper had no idea why she was talking with a not-really-Reyna about strawberry desserts. Dang.

Reyna casually picked a strawberry. Even though her fingernails were trimmed, they cut the thin skin. Strawberry juice welled up from the cut, red like blood.

"Such a lovely strawberry..." Reyna began.

Piper frowned vaguely. Say whaaaaaaaaaat?

Reyna crushed the strawberry in her fist, the crimson juice staining her fingers and trickling down her arm like a path of blood.

Piper flinched.

"Gae..." Reyna began to speak but doubled over.

"Piper, run!" Reyna yelped.

The _real _Reyna had yelped.

Piper didn't hesitate. She dropped the basket she was holding and ran for all she was worth.

**I love cliff-hangers. **

**I'll update this pretty quick (because personally, I can't wait to see what happens next too), so don't worry!**

**Please R&R, and wait for what happens next!**


	10. Chapter 10: Awakened

**I know it's going to be cruel of me to torture you guys with a cliff-hanger. **

**So here is the new chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Ten: Awakened**

Piper tore through the strawberries. She felt bad about hearing the roots snap and tear, but she was too scared to do anything than to run.

Piper snuck a glance behind her.

Physically and based on her skill, Reyna was _way _better than Piper could ever be. Reyna was taller, more athletically fit, and her years of legion training would outdo Piper's in less than a second. And Reyna's dagger was in her hand.

Reyna was stumbling through the vines. Nearby, a nymph and a satyr were gawping at them. The two of them hesitated, but forged ahead. The satyr placed a set of reed pipes against his lips and began to play. The nymph closed her eyes and concentrated. Immediately, the strawberry vines snaked into a massive net.

Within moments, Reyna was trapped.

Piper proceeded with caution. The satyr and the nymph were wide-eyed as they stared at the snarling praetor of New Rome.

"I-i-i-is t-t-that the p-p-p-p-praetor o-of New R-rome?" the satyr asked, stuttering.

"Unfortunately, yes," Piper replied.

"What has happened?" the nymph asked, holding onto the satyr.

"Blah-ha-ha!" the satyr bleated. "She smells weird... like... dust. And dirt. And... I can't place it. It's like... like a mixture between rotten strawberries and monsters."

"Grover, calm down," the nymph said soothingly. "Let's take her to Chiron. He'll know what to do."

"Yeah, he will," Piper croaked.

Reyna looked like a feral animal. Her teeth were bared, and her fingers were hooked into claws. Worst of all was her eyes. Instead of a steady dark brown, they were completely black. There were no whites, just nothing but black.

"Oh, Reyna," Piper whispered. "What has gotten into you?"

**Reyna's POV**

Reyna groaned when she woke up. When she opened her eyes, she found a crossbow on her neck.  
"It's me," Reyna gasped as she scrambled back, only to bump into a headboard.

"Oh good. Our Sleeping Beauty's awakened," Mr. D yawned. He was flipping through a wine magazine, while a wine bottle stood uncorked on a nightstand.

Mr. D took a careful sip out of a wineglass filled with dark purple liquid as he flipped the page.

"How... Oh..." Reyna said as everything hit her like a freight train.

"Did I... hurt you?" Reyna asked Piper.

She was in the infirmary. The Seven, Chiron, Mr. D, the satyr and the nymph were also present, hovering around her bed anxiously.

"What has happened?" Chiron asked her kindly as he handed her a glass of nectar. "We found you completely raving under that net Grover and Juniper constructed. It was a miracle no one found out. We had to knock you out and take you here. I found nothing wrong with you."

Reyna sipped the nectar. Immediately, she felt better. It tasted like the strawberries... which wasn't so good.

Reyna didn't hesitate to tell Chiron about the voice, the arai's curse, the time when she pushed the camper off the Poop Pile... no, Zeus's Fist.

"Oh." Dionysus yawned. "Possessed spirit. Best way to get rid of it is to...Wait... WHAT? There are no more 1156 wine left in this world? This is outrageous!"

Grover stifled a laugh behind his hand.

Piper filled Reyna in on what happened in the strawberry fields. Reyna flinched and felt warmth crawl up her face.

"Did you feel anything... see anything when you were... possessed?" Chiron asked.

Reyna closed her eyes.

"Yes," she said. "At first, I was just there, picking strawberries. Then, I had a really weird nightmare of the Minotaur... (Percy's face scrunched together), King Minos... (Percy's eyes widened with rage) and a lopsided hairdo like a collapsed wedding cake."

Leo burst out into laughter.  
"Gods, it's Pasiphae," Annabeth murmured.

"Seems as if she wants revenge," Chiron said slowly.

"I felt something wrong, so I began to... I didn't really know how, but I suddenly gained possession of my own body again. I managed to give Piper a warning before Pasiphae took over me again. The rest... I don't remember."

There was a moment of silence.

"We shouldn't let anyone know about this," Chiron said immediately.

"Deal," Percy agreed.

"What should we do if Pasiphae comes back again?" Annabeth asked.

"Lock me up," Reyna suggested.

"I got a straightjacket available," Leo grinned, but quickly replied, "Sorry, sorry," when Calypso shot him a venomous look.

In the end, Chiron decided to keep Reyna in a spare room in the Big House. He made sure the sharp materials were kept away.

Reyna leaned against the wall. There was nothing left to do. There were a few books, but she was still bored.

The Seven promised they would take turns visiting her to keep her entertained, and told the camp Reyna left to Camp Jupiter in the middle of a night when a construction accident was reported. No biggie, right?

Reyna sighed.

Life was hard.

**OK, as for this chapter, there isn't really a cliff-hanger. **

**In any way, please R&R! I really need those reviews. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11: Freed

**I am really, really, REALLY sorry for the really late update. **

**First of all, I was stuck in a land without Wi-Fi. Then, the teachers decided it was "Bury the students in homework" time, so I was actually buried in homework. **

**So... Here it is! The final chapter! Enjoy!**

_**After the Second Prophecy**_

**Chapter Eleven: Freed**

Reyna bit into the bagel Piper got for her for breakfast. She sipped her cinnamon coffee as she glanced ruefully out the tiny window, watching everyone parade to the Dining Pavilion and chow down their food.

"I'm on Shift One," Piper announced as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"What about your cabin?" Reyna asked.

"Lacy and Mitchell can take care of them," Piper answered. "The Aphrodite Cabin won't give any magical makeovers. Well... most likely they won't."

After seeing Travis and Connor dressed as Michael Jackson, Reyna's stomach hurled at the thought of worse makeups.

It was a somewhat awkward conversation. Piper and Reyna talked about the weather (no, not really, since the weather is always sunny and pleasant), the food (no, not really either, since the food was always awesome) and how stupid Travis and Connor look with their makeovers (That, they agreed).

When Piper left, Reyna was almost sorry to see her go.

Leo visited Reyna a few hours later, but most of the time, Reyna was perched on her bed, watching Leo assemble a machine that looked like a cross between a dead chicken and a dinosaur as he sprayed machine grease and fire everywhere.

Once Leo left, Chiron sent the cleaning harpies into the room. Reyna watched the harpies warily. She didn't like their cruel, hooked beaks, matted feathers and the hungry look in their black, beady eyes.

To her surprise, it was Calypso who brought in lunch. Reyna ate her sandwiches, as Calypso picked on her salad.

"Is Pasiphae bothering you?" Calypso asked softly.

"Not yet," Reyna muttered. She was suddenly very interested at her ham and cheese sandwich.

"I noticed how you looked at Jason..."

_Let me take control. NOW!_

"Calypso, get out of here!" Reyna yelped.

Calypso stood up, her salad plate shattering on the ground.

"What?"

"Get out! I'm..."

Then, there was nothing.

**A few moments later...**

Reyna woke up in the Fields of Punishments.

It was misty, the air smelling of smoke. There were phantoms howling all around her, and she shivered.

"Reyna!"

Reyna whipped her head around, but couldn't see anyone.

"It's not Pasiphae! It's you!"

"What?" Reyna yelped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Calypso!"

"WHAT?" Reyna gasped.

What on earth was happening?

"It's not Pasiphae! Or... yes, it is, but you have to let Jason go!"

"WHAT?" Reyna cried.

"Gaea saw your love for Jason! She used it against you! The arai's curse... Gaea sent Pasiphae after you! You're weak now, so she's attacking you! You NEED TO LET JASON GO!"

It felt as though Reyna had woken up from a deep sleep. Everything zoomed into clarity.

Then, everything went black.

Reyna woke up.

She was back in the Infirmary. This time, the entire camp was around her.

Calypso explained to the crowd what had happened. Fortunately, she excluded the part about Reyna still loving Jason.

Jason quickly kissed Piper.

In the past, it would have caused knots of unpleasant emotions.

Now, there were none.

Reyna was free.

**I know this chapter sucks. I'm madly out of ideas, and I will be writing a new story soon. **

**Please check the new story out! Thanks!**


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